


Honey Prince

by MaryShimy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Honey Prince, POV Adrien Agreste, POV Alternating, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, miraculous swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-20 08:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16552331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryShimy/pseuds/MaryShimy
Summary: This wasn't supposed to happen.He wasn't supposed to have this.Why did he have to go and meet with Ladybug out of the suit?Why did this Akuma have to be so demanding that Ladybug needed help?Why did Ladybug choose him as Queen Bee's replacement?--Kwami 'swap' AU





	1. Who is Honey Prince?

**Author's Note:**

> Kwami 'swap' AU. You'll know soon why it is in quotations. 
> 
> I made my choice with what Adrien's superhero name would be with the Bee Miraculous. I explained it in the story. I made my choice for Adrien's Bee suit, (almost a literal bee suit), I explained it in the story as simple as I could. 
> 
> I suck at writing action scenes, so early apologies to new readers.  
> But I've been told I'm great at writing emotional scenes so, good luck. 
> 
> Enjoy reading!

He didn’t know what to do. 

First of all, he shouldn’t have dwindled around. Yes, he did it because he was looking for his friends and making sure they were safe, but that was something he could- no, should have done when in the suit. 

Second, when sure they were safe he should have gotten in suit first before looking for the location of the Akuma. 

Third, he shouldn’t have approached Ladybug without costume. 

But he did. 

And she was in need. 

And there’s an Akuma that they can’t beat alone. 

And she’s asking him to take the Bee Miraculous. 

And he has the feeling he’s going to be the first to ever reject her. 

“What do you mean no?”

He stared, eyes prickling… he should blink. 

“I… I’m fine.” 

She gaped at him, baffled, part of her actually admiring how ‘humble’ she believed Adrien to be. 

“You can be a hero.” She whispered, almost seeming like she was bestowing him with the biggest secret in the world, like it was something he didn’t know. 

“I-.... I don’t want to be a hero. I’m fine. Actually, I have somewhere to go.”

He wasn’t blinking. She couldn’t stop. 

“Adrien-... I-... I know you can do this. I need you to help me.” She just couldn’t stop blinking. Almost like she was hoping she would blink and he would start fawning over the miraculous box in her hand. 

“How- How about Chloe? I thought it was her Miraculous.” 

She shook her head, “Chloe is incapacitated at the moment.” 

He nodded, just like when Style Queen incapacitated him. “What about Carapace? Rena Rouge?”

“Carapace is incapacitated, Rena is nowhere to be seen. And the Akuma already passed by the school. So my options are skimmed to those who left before the Akuma got there. And apparently that was just you.” 

In the distance there was the sound of an explosion, and as he saw a twenty-five floor building crumble to the ground, and he understood what she meant by incapacitated and nowhere to be found. 

This Akuma was burying people inside crumbled buildings. 

“The Akuma is in his glove. And he digs himself underground before I can reach him.” She took a quick glance back as another crumbled, much closer than the previous one.

“Please.” She was desperate. 

He slowly nodded, quickly ducking for cover as the building besides them began to crumble, sending boulders in their direction. 

Ladybug immediately went into action, trying to divert the Akuma's attention. 

Hiding behind a trash can in an alleyway, Plagg had a lot to say. 

“Are you replacing me, kid?” 

“What was I supposed to do Plagg? What am supposed to do now?”

“Give it back!” 

He blinked and the burn immediately made him cry, making him look more distressed than he honestly felt at the moment. 

“She needs help! We need help! But instead, Chat Noir is gonna come out carrying another miraculous, looking just as confused as she is.” 

Adrien slid down the wall, sighing, thinking a million thoughts a minute as he tried to figure out what to do. 

“She doesn’t need Chat Noir now.” 

Adrien looked up to see Plagg looking nervous for the first time in a long time. 

“Our power is similar to the Akuma's. We’ll only make a bigger mess.” He sounded just as small as he looked.

“What are you saying?”

“Use her.” 

“What?” 

Plagg sighed, frustrated, “We destroy. He destroys. Ladybug needs someone to control the disastrous Akuma. Not someone to help the Akuma. You don’t need me.”

“Plagg,” Adrien whispered, feeling sad for how disappointed in himself Plagg sounded.

“For now! When this is all over, Pollen goes back to Blondie and you come back to me!” 

Adrien smiled tenderly at Plagg’s possessiveness. Plagg was proud but not stupid. They were a team and no one nor nothing should ever tear them apart. It’s just a one time thing. 

Adrien looked down at the box and finally opened it, a bright yellow light blinding him before Pollen materialized.

“How may I please you, my Qu- . . . You’re not Chloe.”

Adrien’s heart broke a bit at the flash of disappointment that was quickly replaced with terror. Pollen may have only been with Chloe three times, but Adrien knew how easy it was for these poor, socially deprived Kwamis to quickly become emotionally attached to a master. It took only twenty minutes for Plagg and him to become what they are now. Pollen most likely didn’t expect to have a new master for another hundred years. 

“Chloe is incapacitated.” He whispered.

Her eyes grew bigger, which Adrien didn’t know was even possible, as she gasped, “Why?”

“I’m unsure. This Akuma most likely buried her, along with every other student, inside the school. We can’t reach them.” 

“We?”

Adrien looked down at what was going to be an awkward moment that shouldn’t be happening, “Me and Ladybug.” 

“I didn’t realize Ladybug worked with civilia-”

“And me Pollen, and me.” Plagg grumbled.

Pollen gasped, finally taking notice of the dark, tiny kitten hidden in the shadows. She took quick looks between both of them, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Adrien didn’t know or maybe understand much of the kwami world, but he knew that even other kwamis weren’t allowed to know who the kwamis’ masters were. Just in case any were captured, none would be able to be forced to rat out any of their friends. 

But lately things have not been going according to plan.

Plagg and Ladybug’s kwami ‘Tikki’ knew who Ladybug and Chat Noir really were. 

All of Paris knows who Queen Bee and her kwami were. 

And now Pollen knows who’s Plagg’s master. 

“I can’t transform you. You belong to Plagg.” She almost looked scared, not of the situation, but of Plagg, and it was on moments like these that Adrien remembered just how powerful Plagg and ‘Tikki’ were and why they were the leaders. 

But also, it made Adrien realize he didn’t really know that much about Plagg or ‘Tikki’ or all the other kwamis he’s protecting.

“Just transform him, Pollen. I can’t help Ladybug in this situation. She needs you.” 

Adrien really wanted to know what went on in the kwami world after seeing the look of complete wonder and admiration at being praised by Plagg. Like… he knew Plagg’s compliments were rare, but she’s looking at him like even to her he’s a god. 

But Pollen also took it as an order, not a plea… 

She nodded, now completely on board with borrowing a master for the day. 

Adrien stared, unsure of what to do. 

“Take the ring off, kid.” Plagg whispered, feeling the same fear in the pit of his stomach as Adrien felt at hearing those words. 

Adrien hesitated before pulling it off and watching grimly as Plagg went back into the ring and left him alone with Pollen. 

Pollen grabbed the box from the floor and offered it to Adrien, “Keep him safe. Put him safely in your pocket.” 

Adrien did as told, the knot in his throat growing bigger by the second. 

“What-... what do I say for you?” 

Pollen smiled tenderly and shrugged, “Anything along the lines of my abilities. But you can choose anything you want. You can even just say ‘transform me’.” 

Adrien nodded, deciding quickly he wasn’t going to half-ass this. “Uhm… Pla- Pollen, Wings on?” 

Adrien didn’t have much time to hear Pollen giggling at his hesitation when the bright yellow light engulfed him and transformed him into-... into…

Adrien sighed, “I need a name, don’t I?” 

He heard Pollen’s voice inside his head, sorta like a whisper in his soul, “You’re a temporary Bee miraculous. I don’t think you need all the flashy names or anything of the sorts.” 

“It’s only fair. And Ladybug will ask. I have to show a bit of commitment.”

Pollen made a noise of agreement and waited for him to come up with a name, and when a good few minutes passed she became impatient, she sighed, “How about something easy, like King Bee? Just to get it out of the way.”

Adrien shook his head, “I don’t want to make it seem like me and Chloe are related or are something. It makes it sound like we’re one half a pair, and my other half is Ladybug, not Chloe.” 

Pollen made the noise again, and he could almost feel her nodding inside him, “Okay, well… I really like the royalty theme. It doesn’t have to be related to bees.” 

Adrien nodded and after staring at the wall for another minute he just burst out yelling, “HONEY PRINCE!”

Plagg was locked away in a box that didn’t even exist at the moment, but he could still hear him snickering, “You just want Ladybug to call you honey.” 

“It sounds like you and Plagg have lots of fun together.” Pollen chirped in.

“I forgot you guys can perceive our thoughts when in the suit,” he grumbled as he stumbled around the wreckage looking around for Ladybug or the Akuma. 

It looked straight out of an apocalypse film. He hid for too long. But Ladybug did good in diverting the Akuma away from him. 

He was running through the rubble, jumping over every obstacle on the way when he caught a glimpse of his reflection on a broken display glass and groaned in embarrassment. 

His suit looked so similar to Chat Noir’s. But if Chat Noir’s cat ears and tail were ridiculous, the antennas and the stinger on his butt are cringe-worthy. He was supposed to draw a line between him as Chat and him as Honey but the line he drew was very blurry. 

Guess he went for something he was already comfortable with…

Again, Plagg in a box not even in existence, but Adrien could hear him mocking him for his lack of creativity and his ‘furry’ obsession. 

Sometimes it felt like he and Plagg were soul-bounded.

“AD- I MEAN BEE, LOOK OUT!” 

He instinctively dodge out of the way as he has done plenty of times before during previous attacks. 

Adrien climbed unto a barely-standing building and waited for Ladybug to catch up with him. 

She panted, clearly over-worked as she came to stand next to him, “Nice dodge. You’re a natural.” 

He knew his sweating was justified, but he could feel the metaphorical sweat of panic dripping down his face. “Yeah, a natural.” 

“-Chat Noir?” 

Panic made him deaf for a second which resulted in another panic, “What?” 

“Do you like Chat Noir?” She wasn’t looking at him, she was watching the Akuma inch away from them, figuring out a plan of attack.

“Why!? I mean, sorta, but… why you ask?” So many reasons to panic, and he was being as subtle as a sore thumb.

“You jumped like him. He sorta jumps like a cat. I mean is in theme, and is cute. I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m just pointing it out.” 

She blushed as she dropped that word vomit on him and Adrien wondered for a second if Ladybug has ever held back from him because of their job. 

“I guess I’ve watched a little too many videos of him. I’ll try to insert myself into Bee mode.” He instinctively smirked. 

She finally looked at him, seeming like she was about to make a witty comment but froze on her tracks. 

She was staring at his face, his eyes, as though her entire world was falling apart in them. 

She turned away and blushed furiously, avoiding looking at him at all cost. 

He wanted to ask what was wrong but something told him it had something to do with his identity and he didn’t want to add to whatever theory she may have. Besides, her stuttering and stumbling was reminding him of someone he now realized he was unsure of whether or not she’s safe. 

But then again, everyone in the school is in danger… 

“Wh-what- … what’s your name? I can’t call you… by your name.” 

He sighed and tried to go back to his cheerful self, “Honey Prince, Miss Lady.” 

She snickered, before seeming to scold herself for doing so, “Okay, Prince.”

Imaginary Plagg laughed. Pollen snickered. 

They caught sight of the Akuma near them and Ladybug instinctively moved forward to go after it, before pausing to give the order, only to see Prince flash past her towards the Akuma. 

As Ladybug rushed to catch up with him, he scolded himself for acting on instinct. He can’t be a natural at something he supposedly just picked up. All miraculouses were sloppy when they first started. 

She didn’t comment on it, “I will bait myself to lure him out from the ground,” She whisper-yelled at him as they followed the breaking street from the Akuma lump moving underground.

“As soon as it comes out to attack me, you do everything possible to paralyze him. It's the only way we’re gonna get a hold of those gloves.”

Prince nodded and split from her, following a few feet behind so he wouldn’t be caught up in their fight. The Bee miraculous was not really made for close combat. And he didn’t like it. 

He was used to battling things out ‘man to man’, to always being two steps away to protect Ladybug, and now… 

Now he had to watch from a distance, ready to stun, as his lady lured an Akuma out and put herself in danger. And he couldn’t do much about except hope he didn’t fail. 

And he didn’t. He smiled brightly as Ladybug destroyed the gloves and purified the akuma, but the knot in his throat didn’t go away. 

He jumped to the ground as Paris was restored to its former glory and heard the last bit of Ladybug’s worried whisper, “-Chat is okay... “

He didn’t need the entire sentence to know she noticed Chat’s absence. 

He turned to look at her and saw her shake her head, turn to him and smile, “Pound it?” 

Prince looked down at her raised fist, and the sense of betrayal made the knot tighten, so he just gave his brightest smile and nodded as he joined on the celebratory gesture. 

They both watched for a second as people gathered themselves and caught up with what's going on before Prince panicked and went into hiding. Ladybug followed confused. Everything about Adrien/Prince was confusing her today. 

She’s never had a hesitant miraculous, or a shy miraculous. Everyone wants to be a miraculous. 

“There’s no need to be shy. It’s okay to let them thank you for your sacrifice.” 

He smiled as he de-transformed before realizing the knot in his throat was not opening up any time soon and he wasn’t facing her either. He couldn’t. He couldn’t look at her face and continue lying. And yes, they have white lies to hide their identities, but this feels wrong on a whole new level. This… this doesn’t feel like a white lie, but like betrayal. Plus, he didn’t want Ladybug to see his teary eyes.

He quickly pulled out the box and handed her the miraculous. 

Her voice sounded so soft as she asked, “Are you okay, Adrien?” 

He nodded, fighting with the knot until he managed to force out, “Just a lot for a first time, maybe next time I’ll handle it better.” 

She gave a breathy laugh before the beeping started. He didn’t even know she had used her lucky charm. 

“Well, that’s my cue to go. Go home and rest. You’ll feel much better after a warm bath and a good nap. Trust me.”

He nodded.

She sighed, “Hope you get better!” 

He still didn’t turn around. Is not like he would have seen her as she ran away. His vision was blurry, the knot was tightening, and his breathing was still faltering. He hated himself right then. 

He should just skip class and go home, do as Ladybug said and wash away the guilt of betrayal and forget today ever happened. First and last time. 

“Adrien…”

He looked up to see a yellow blob. 

The sound came from the pit of his stomach, from the depth of his soul, it was almost guttural as he groaned, “No!”


	2. Who is Chat Noir?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MORE PANIC ATTACKS! MORE SELF-HATRED! MORE DRAMA!
> 
> Marinette's eyes get opened up to ♫A whole new world!♫

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to finish this today. And if I do, I will post it today.  
> First time I finish a story in two days... But I don't want to drag this on for too long.  
> I want to get this idea out of the way and hope this will motivate me to either finish 'My Voice' or to finish writing the first chapter of the 'To all the boys I've loved before' au. 
> 
> Note: Just in case it wasn't clear, Adrien put Plagg in the miraculous box that Pollen came in to keep him safe. Plagg was not talking to him through the battle. Plagg didn't physically exist in any form at that moment. That was Adrien soothing himself with a familiar voice. 
> 
> Ms: Missus  
> Msr: Monsieur 
> 
> Enjoy.

“Was that a new hero?”

“What do you mean new hero? It wasn’t Chloe Bourgeois?”

“I think it was a boy.” 

“No, it was Chloe Bourgeois!”

“No, I was there after Ladybug did her clean-up power. It was not super close but I saw his figure and there were definitely bits missing and one bit added down there if you know what I mean… Plus the hair was way short.” 

“It must have been the concussion, the yellow miraculous is Chloe Bourgeois.”

Marinette walked past the gossiping Parisians discussing the confusing sight with some unfortunate tourist trying to her best to keep her poker face. Or maybe a slightly traumatized face… I mean she should have been in the rubble with everyone else, might as well play the part of the victim. 

Marinette looked around trying to locate herself in Paris to how far from home, the school or Master Fu’s massage parlor she was, realizing that she was further south than she has ever ventured before. 

She pulled her hoodie on and closed it, encouraging Tikki to hide on her hood. 

“Chloe will definitely not like the rumors,” Tikki whispered next to her ear.

“Chloe will have to understand. She was stuck under that-” Marinette swallowed remembering the wreckage that had become the school after Stone Breaker stormed past it. HawkMoth was getting smarter, and encapsulating all the teenagers inside the school… was genius. It’s not a wild guess to say that all the miraculous are in that age range, so making the colleges his target was horribly smart. 

HawkMoth was also getting more dangerous. It used to be rare to see blood. She missed those days. And every time she worries that her Miraculous Ladybug won’t heal the disturbing injuries these new akumas were causing. But of course… Miraculous Ladybug can’t reverse death. She was at that moment debating going back to school first to make sure she still had classmates alive, going back home to make sure she still had parents or going to Master Fu to return the miraculous. She knew Master Fu would be fine, he’s at least still good at protecting himself.

“Tikki should we go-”

“We need to return the miraculous before anything happens to it…” Tikki paused, staring into space before whispering, “If anything has happened to it…”

Marinette put a lot of effort into not making it obvious she was ‘talking to herself’, “What do you mean if?”

“The miraculous feels different.” Her whisper was soft, and there was some worry, but it mostly sounded like she was focusing on a really hard equation.

“Like… distant different?”

Tikki quickly replied, “No. There’s definitely something in the box. I don’t think Adrien kept Pollen, but-”

Mari shushed Tikki as they were passing by an electronic store, rushing inside to try and snoop at the news.

“-To thank Ladybug for once again saving us all from near death. The French police have already spread out around Paris making sure no fatal injuries were caused during this Akuma attack. We’ve got reports from all the headmasters in the area informing us that there are no injuries sustained after Ladybug’s miraculous healing power, but a few students are missing from Collège Françoise Dupont. So if anyone catches sight of students Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Msr. Adrien Agreste and Ms. Chloe Bourgeois, please notify the police immediately and ask them to come home. Their parents are worried-”

“You’re the girl from the news… right?” 

Mari looked back to see the store owner looking between her and tv, “I’m on my way home. I’ve just lost my way. Could you tell me which way is to the college?”

The old man refused to let her go as he called for the police to pick her up, and Mari had to sit by watching as Nadja continuously updated on the well being of Paris. By the time the Police arrived Chloe had been found whining about the rumors and asking Ladybug to explain, but no news on Adrien. 

She now regretted leaving him on the alley. 

The entire ride home was filled with a continuous lecture on civilian safety during Akuma attacks and why she shouldn’t leave the perimeter of the school during them. She’s heard this at least two times prior, and she was for sure glad she has never had to deal with the same police officer twice. She worried for the day they began to pick up on her pattern. 

Msr. Damocles waited for her outside of the school, checked her off a list as ‘safe & sound’ and gave her strict instructions to go straight home, which she contemplated but didn’t fulfill. At most, she picked up her bag, fed Tikki, and came out of the shadows as Ladybug hoping to either save time and get to Master Fu’s quicker or assist the police in their search for Adrien.

She was leaving the perimeter of the school when she noticed another police car pulling in and Adrien coming out. She waited for a few seconds to make sure he was okay. As she stared she noticed Adrien was still carrying himself like-... like… like a victim and not a hero… 

“He’s safe Marinette. We need to return Pollen.” Tikki sounded angsty and worried in her head.

She stood up nodding and took one quick look back to see Adrien staring at her with wide eyes. She smiled and waved before rushing off towards Master Fu’s, missing Adrien’s yell for her attention. 

After de-transforming near Master Fu’s, Mari nearly ran to the building, growing worried at Tikki’s worries about Pollen. Did Adrien break her somehow?

She barely opened the door before she heard Master Fu’s knowing words, “You made a mistake.”

She swallowed and nodded, inching towards him scared, like a child walking towards time-out. “I understand I made one, but I don’t understand what was it. Was it giving Pollen to someone else? Can’t someone else use her? Was it my choice of master? Wa-”

Marinette stopped as he nodded, looking grim and uncomfortable with the situation, “Adrien Agreste was not the right choice.” 

She reached into her bag, looking for the miraculous box, “Did he break her? Was he not physically ready for a miraculous?” Mari was making to open the box when Master Fu’s hand stopped her and she froze, not realizing he had even stood up.

“It’s better if you don’t see what’s in there.” There was a clear warning in his voice.

But curiosity was now eating her alive. This was Adrien they were talking about. Why was Adrien the wrong pick for a miraculous? Why did Adrien reject a miraculous? Why was Adrien so emotionally affected by the miraculous? Did Master Fu attempt to give a miraculous to Adrien prior and that’s why he knew Adrien was the wrong pick? The still doesn’t answer all the other questions. And why did Adrien’s eyes have to look so much like Chat’s?

She’s been ignoring that last one ever since he smirked at her on the roof. Adrien’s version of the bee was closer to how Pollen, Plagg and Chat looked, where the green of his eyes was surrounded by Pollen’s blue. It made his green eyes stand out in a peculiar way that-... and his smirk… and his jump…?

“There’s something in here that you can’t see, and that I can’t have… It doesn’t belong to me. Find the boy and return it.” 

Tikki gasped, seeming to finally understand what was happening, “It’s not Pollen!” 

“Tikki!” Wayzz yelled from the gramophone. 

“If it’s not Pollen then what is it?” Marinette was now staring between all of them.

Master Fu smiled, “Just a private family heirloom of Msr. Agreste. I give him private Mandarin classes so I know how private he is about this. Return it before his father begins to worry about it.” 

Master Fu didn’t know. Marinette didn’t know. No one knew that Adrien’s father would want nothing more than to have what was in that box. 

Marinette nodded, “I’m sorry for temporarily losing Pollen again.”

“She’s not lost. She’s safe, but far from home. So, bring her home.” 

Marinette nodded, big her goodbyes and walked out towards the alleyway behind the parlor. 

“I told you Adrien was not good.” Tikki lectured her.

But Marinette was not listening. As far as Adrien was involved, Marinette had to know everything. She had to know what was in the box. Morals were not stopping her now.

“Marinette, don’t!”

Tikki’s voice got lost in the blinding light and the grumpy voice that followed the opening. 

“Took you long enough, kid!” 

Plagg was grumpy and seemed like he was about to complain further until he saw the two ladies in front of him. His eyes widened and he gave a panic look to Tikki. 

“Why am I here?” He squeaked out.

Marinette nodded, “Exactly… why are you in the box and not with Chat?”

Plagg’s wide eyes flickered between Marinette and Tikki like he was hoping Tikki would give him the answer, but she was panicking as well. 

“W-why do you have the box?” Mari had never heard Plagg stutter…

She crossed her arms and sighed, “Adrien gave it to me after the Akuma battle.” 

It flickered in his eyes for a second but Marinette saw it, the look of heartbreak, the look of betrayal, the look of abandonment. And quickly the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall in place. 

“It had to be a mis-” Tikki paused, looking at Mari and remembering they weren’t alone and anything she said at the moment could destroy the entire foundation in which the secret laid. 

But only then Marinette realized that that foundation broke the moment she told Tikki she was gonna get Adrien to use the Bee miraculous and Tikki told her it wasn’t a good idea. 

Tikki knows who are the master of all the Miraculouses… 

Tikki specifically knows who the owner of the Black Cat miraculous is. 

Tikki knows who’s Plagg’s master is. 

Tikki would know that picking him for another one would be a bad idea and try to vaguely warn her about it.

Marinette just didn’t listen. 

But she was hearing loud and clear now. 

“Adrien didn’t abandon you… he also made a mistake.” Her voice was low, barely hearable, crumbling apart along with her reality. 

Tikki and Plagg stared at her, but uncomfortable at how things were turning out.

Marinette nodded as she mentally connected Adrien with the Chat Noir costume and with the yellow version of basically the same costume. “And I made the biggest one today.” 

Tikki tried talking but Marinette was just reliving the Akuma attack and seeing it with brand new eyes and hating herself for what she did. 

It was only when Plagg spoke that Marinette broke out of the spell, “Kid, the sun is coming down. You should not be out in the alleys at dark. Take me to Adrien so you can go home to your parents.” 

Marinette didn’t respond but walked out of the alley, Plagg, and Tikki quickly rushing towards her bag. 

She continued to walk in a daze before another police car stopped her, told her that her parents were looking for her and gave her the same lecture again as they drove her home. 

Could she… how-... 

She was glad the police officer was distracted by his speech and the road to not notice her moment of realization at how many times she had rejected the same guy she was pursuing. How many times she had told one that the other was better. How many times she had made a fool of herself in front of her partner without realizing it…

She has already kissed Adrien!

And neither of them knew about it! 

…

Adrien rejected her for… her? 

The more her eyes opened to this cruel reality the less prepared she felt to face him.

Even if she did it as Ladybug, the spell is broken. She knows. Maybe for him, things could go back to normal, but for her, it never would. 

After arriving back home and soothing her parents’ worries about her health, she went up to her room to do exactly as she had told Adrien to do. 

Take a warm bath, ignore the two miraculous freaking out beside her, and take a nap and hope this was all a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts on this story. 
> 
> If anything confused you, feel free to ask.


	3. Who is Ladybug?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dual POVs in this semi-final chapter, we get to see how Adrien is doing with Pollen as his new buddy and how this affects his train of thoughts, and how Marinette's doing with the Power Duo while they battle out whether or not Mari should deal with the problem now or when she's ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this written for two days, but I kept telling myself the chapter should be longer, then I got a migraine, so it got delayed, then I was driving somewhere and these brilliant ideas came to me for the finale, and then another migraine, and finally I opened up the document and realized that for the finale I want to do... what I have written so far is enough.
> 
> ... More like... it's necessary I stop now, otherwise I ruin it. 
> 
> ... I don't think I'm gonna tell you guys what it is yet. So just enjoy.

When dawn came the nauseating feeling didn’t go away. 

And Pollen was the one waking him up for school. 

“After school today, we need to get in the suit and search long and wide for Ladybug… or Chloe. Maybe Ladybug will react much quicker if I’m with Chloe… I don’t think Ladybug likes Chloe…”

Adrien gave a pitiful smile to the kwami hovering behind me as he cleaned himself up for school, “Chloe is just… a little too much for some people. And it won’t be hard to find Chloe,” Adrien sighed as he put the comb down and stared at his reflection, remembering just how possessive Chloe can be, “Chloe will find me.” 

Pollen giggled, following him out of the bathroom, “I think she has one of those human crushes.” 

Adrien nodded, picking up his bag, and looked back at her in slight pity, more words that show just how locked up Pollen has been this whole time, “It feels more like she likes the idea of me. Or is just infatuated with me. Either way, it will all pass. Sadly I don’t see Chloe that way.”

Pollen flew towards him and landed on the broch that lay hidden between plenty locks of hair and giggled, “No, you see Ladybug that way, and you don’t even know who she is.” 

Pollen… quickly picked up on that. Maybe it was the time they shared a brain during the Akuma attack, or maybe it was the millions of pictures he has of her in his room, or maybe… maybe it was the way he spoke about her in total adoration.

Adrien nodded, “Can we not talk about that?” 

“What if what you have with Ladybug is the same of what Chloe has with you?”

Guess we’re not dropping the subject. 

At least with Plagg, he would have dropped the subject immediately because he didn’t care to waste time talking about ‘unimportant’ problems. Plagg wouldn’t have asked him the question he has been avoiding asking to himself ever since the first time he and Lady had a fight. 

...Then again, maybe what Pollen was doing was healthier for him. 

Was he in love with the idea of who Ladybug is? Pollen was right, he didn’t know who she was under the mask. For him, being in the mask was liberating; he got to let go of all the restraints his father forced upon him and just let loose and freely enjoy life. Who’s to say the same is for Ladybug? What if whenever the mask comes on Ladybug becomes what she believes a hero should be like, but when it comes off she’s… an unpleasant bitch? Like… worse than Chloe? Like…

Worse than Lila!? 

Or what if this is all an obsession?

“Adrien?” 

He sighed, “I did not want to think about this Pollen.”

He felt her shake on top of his head, probably a tiny kwami shrug, “Before you judge Chloe on her human crush, you should consider if what you have for Ladybug is just as misdirected.”

As horrible as he felt with everything going on, he couldn’t deny that Pollen’s company was enjoyable. And her love for Chloe! Is good to know he’s not the only who’s there to pick her up when the rest of the world turns on her. “You really like Chloe.”

“She’s fun! We had long, long talks about what goes on in the human world, she carefully explains everything to me, we played ‘dress-up’ for a few hours, she’s fun!”

Pollen belonged to Chloe. No denying it. And he needed Plagg back. 

“Come on,” Adrien opened his bag in which one of his softest jackets laid for her to cuddle in, “Time to go to school.” She squeaked as she flew into the fluffy ball of fabric. 

So adorable. 

Due to his small epiphany, Adrien was a little late for school. And what a sight he must have been, rushing into class with his hand holding his hair as though it was getting in the way. 

Chloe really dropped a disadvantage on all of them by showing off what one of the miraculous was on live tv. 

“Msr. Agreste, stop staring and take your seat.” Ms. Mendeleiev grumbled, clearly not happy at being interrupted. 

As he went to his seat he noticed a few things.

Chloe looked sad. The real kind of sad. Not the ‘daddy won’t give me what I want’ kind of sad. The ‘something really personal to me was taken from me’ kind of sad. Guilt started tying the knot in his throat again. 

Nino and Alya were looking at him as though they knew all of his secrets. He worried about which one they knew. The knot tightened. 

Sweet Marinette refused to look at him or acknowledge his existence… He didn’t know how he caused that one, but nonetheless, the knot tightened further. 

He sat down and tried to avoid three out of four. Chloe out of guilt, and those two because… well, he had enough on his plate at the moment, he didn’t need Bonnie and Clyde to fuck with him right now. 

When some free time came, he turned around, quickly avoiding Bonnie and Clyde’s gaze, and casually crossed his arms on Marinette’s desk. 

“Hey Marinette, how you doing?” He used as much charm as possible. 

“Good.” She muttered, not looking up from her hands hidden on her lap. 

Bonnie and Clyde quickly picked up what Adrien had picked up when he was sitting down; she’s not doing good. And Adrien had something to do with it. 

Adrien nodded, confused but still smiling as he tried to figure out how to go about it, ending up with just straight up asking, “Just out of curiosity, because I’m a little slow sometimes, did I do something wrong to you?” 

She shook her head, but from the lower angle Adrien was seated at he could see a glimpse of her face, shadowed by her hair, as she opened her mouth, seeming as though she was going to say the opposite. 

Adrien nodded, absorbing her body language and trying to silently figure out what he Did do. 

“Mari, is there something wrong?” Alya whispered beside her, moving her chair closer to her and putting her arm around her. 

She finally looked up, but only at Alya, and she looked like she was about to say something but backed out at the last second, shook her head, gathered her bag and ran out. 

Nino nodded and stared at both Adrien and Alya with a look of amused amazement, lips puckered, nose scrunched up, eyebrows raised, “... Her actions contradict her ‘words’.” He did the finger quotations on ‘words.’ 

Adrien sighed, making a move to grab his bag and go after her when Alya teasingly whispered to him, “So, what did you do yesterday, honey?”

He ignored it, hoping that maybe Alya had switched to a new pet name for Nino, but Nino butted in huffing, “I thought we agreed on Prince.” 

“Honey is funnier.” 

Adrien ignored them and stood up.

“Is there something wrong with you too?” Nino asked, now the worry showing on the surface. 

Alya, on the other hand, was now on play mode, “Going to look for your princess, your highness?” 

He glared at them as he walked out and only when the door was closed behind did he realize that Alya was right. In theory. 

He did nickname Marinette ‘princess’ while in Chat mode. 

… Why did he do that? 

Why did he nickname her something so… intimate? So romantic? Why did he flirt with Marinette as Chat? Isn’t all of his love and devotion dedicated to Ladybug? Why was he sharing it? … Is not like he’s done this with other girls... What was so special about Marinette? 

She’s his friend, yes.

His close friend…

One of his closest. 

… Like on Chloe-level. 

But that didn’t earn an intimate nickname. Nino doesn’t have one and neither does Chloe. 

… Marinette did feel somehow more intimate…

Maybe it was the kiss… maybe it was her confession. Maybe it was the fact that he always felt like he had to make it up to her for rejecting her for Ladybug. 

He didn’t want to lose Mari in any way. And he almost did. 

Because he’s pursuing a girl that has rejected him on numerous occasions. 

… He knew why. 

He didn’t want to admit to himself but he knew why. 

Marinette only knows the Adrien that his father has fabricated. Ladybug knows the real him. And he’s desperately hoping to make the one that really knows him fall in love with what he is… 

A waste of time really. 

Here’s a girl who’s willing to take a chance with him and has even stayed by his side through his obliviousness and rejection, a girl who really, besides her stubbornness, doesn’t really has that much going against her. A girl who must also have her secrets. 

And that’s what a relationship is really, you slowly falling deeper in love with all these new characteristic you discover about your partner. 

Ladybug has refused over and over again to go down this path with him.

But Marinette… 

…

…

Marinette Is great. 

He demands and demands Ladybug to give him the time of day, but he won’t do it with someone who’s willing to give it to him. 

He should talk to Marinette-

The door hit him from behind and fell on the ground. 

“Have you been standing there the entire time?” Alix asked as she helped him up. 

Adrien realized that he had in fact been standing there smiling like an idiot through this new epiphany. “Uh… gathering my thoughts. Kind of forgot what I came out here to do so…”

Alix nodded, still looking at him as though he lost a few marbles, and pointed towards the stairs, “Most likely going to check what’s up with Mari.” 

“Right… right.” He nodded and smiled uncomfortably at her for a few seconds before he turned around and headed towards the stairs. He heard her scoff behind him before snickering and walking away. 

Okay so yes… He has arrived at the conclusion he wants to try it out with Marinette but… how… does he approach the subject… with a girl who’s surprisingly angry with him for reasons unknown?

“You worry too much. Stop overthinking it.” 

He instinctively told Pollen to shut up the same way he would often do with Plagg, before taking a breather and saying it softer. “We’re in school.” 

Pollen stayed quiet, and he worried he may have hurt her feelings, but a set of pigtails caught his eyes and Pollen’s words reached him. 

And he ran. 

*-*-*-*

Marinette was quickly losing her mind!

She could now understand how Chat Noir could be such a mess sometimes. 

Plagg was a mess. 

Plagg was the literal opposite of Tikki.

Tikki who always guided her in the right directions, whose morals were never gray, who discouraged her from stealing phones, skipping class or running away from scary situations.

Plagg who was fighting with Tikki and insisting that if Mari was not ready for this situation she should not be forced into it. 

Plagg who advised her early this morning to sneak into Agreste Mansion and just drop him off in Adrien’s room. 

Thank god she didn’t regularly have Plagg by her side. She definitely didn’t need this kind of encouragement. She’s disastrous enough by herself.

“We get nothing from running away!” Mari had never heard Tikki sound this aggressive.

“And with the way she is right now, we’ll get disaster if she approaches him!”

They were whisper yelling at each other as Marinette gathered her notebooks from her locker. She was seriously contemplating shoving her head in there and banging the door on her head. 

“Bravery is when we face our fears, Plagg. And Marinette won’t learn to be strong if she keeps cowering!”

“If you throw a kid off the Eiffel Tower he won’t be braver, he’ll be traumatized and hate you for the rest of its life.”

She knew together Plagg and Tikki had immense power, enough to grant grandeur wishes. She knew together they were unstoppable. 

“We’re not throwing her off the Eiffel Tower! We’re telling her that if she doesn’t run the race, she’ll never win the price.” 

“This is not a race! This is a peaceful city unknowingly waiting for a bomb that’s about to drop. And there’s no need to rush disaster!”

Together in hero form. But outside… They were like an old married couple with very different parenting styles. And Marinette was their very tired child. 

“How will it be a disaster if Ladybug returns the ring-”

“Please!” Marinette begged in a whisper, interrupting Tikki, “Stop fighting!”

She didn’t look behind her to see their reactions, she was mostly just focusing on relaxing her migraine away. 

Suddenly she felt Tikki cuddle up to her cheek and hug her as tightly as her tiny body could, then followed by a hesitant Plagg on her other cheek, who after a throat clearing from Tikki got really into it. 

“I’m fine.” Nonetheless, she patted their little heads in thanks.

And it was then that she realized why they were trying to soothe her. She was crying. 

She sighed in frustration before grabbing a tissue and softly pushing them away to clean her face. “I will be fine.”

She finally looked up at the two kwamis whose worried faces reminded her of parent figures. She tried to put on her best smile and shrug it off.

Tikki sighed, looking like she really didn’t want to say what she was gonna say, but, “Plagg’s right. We shouldn’t force you into a situation you’re not emotionally ready for. Take some time to recover, but we need to get Pollen back by next week at the most.” 

She wondered why Tikki would be hesitant on stating what the right choice was until she saw Plagg’s smirk and realized that they were in some way an old married couple, and Plagg just won the fight. And Plagg was not gonna let her forget it. 

On the way home Plagg insisted to Tikki that she’d repeat ‘Plagg’s right.’ a few more times, which she did until she grew tired of his gloating and threatened him with no food for the rest of the day which resulted in a now-smug Tikki and a very quiet kitten. 

And while Marinette was glad their argument and then playful banter was over, she kinda wished they would start again as she realized she was using them as a distraction to her own problems. 

She sighed and shook her head as she immediately began to come up with excuses for why she left early, that Alya, no doubt, would be demanding later. 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not telling you what the plan is! 
> 
> But I love encouragement if you got some! 
> 
> I love your opinions, I feel bittersweet about your ideas, and your criticism is always welcome. I've learned a lot thanks to it. (In fact, I like criticism more than ideas, because it's been a few times already that someone says what I was gonna do in the story and then I feel forced to change the entire story because of it... 'My voice' has suffered a few bruises because of that... Maybe no ideas.)
> 
> Next 'chapter' should come out soon. Gonna try to use these extra days as motivation. But I'm pumped now so who knows, maybe it will come out tonight.


	4. Who is Marinette? // Who is your Lady?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Multiple endings:
> 
> Adrien knows vs Adrien doesn't know.
> 
> Knows what? You figure it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Am. A. Month. Late. And. I. Know. It. No. Need. To. Tell. Me.  
> (My other fic is like multiple months late and I'm just about to delete an entire scene because of the fucking writer's block it gave me. Don't complain.)
> 
> Okay. But yeah. The reason I'm a month late is due to finals and because the fear I had towards finishing this fic. I was driving one day, trying to figure out how I wanted this to proceed and I couldn't decide between these two options and I loved where each one was going, so I finally I decided, "Why not both?"  
> But I was driving. Which mean that by the time I got home, I kinda forgot, and when I remembered, finals had started. And then I wrote one of the endings, and the fear of ending a story settled in and I couldn't write the second ending. But I wanted it so bad. The option.  
> I considered for a second just publishing one and apologizing, but in the end, I pushed through.  
> \--
> 
> So I have to explain why there's two and so you guys can decide which one (if you only want to read one) to read. 
> 
> Ending One: Adrien is a master hider in those lockers and heard everything Marinette, Plagg and Tikki said in the locker room.
> 
> Ending Two: Marinette had already left by the time he got there. 
> 
> Ending one and two share a scene, just one, everything besides that is different.  
> \--
> 
> ENJOY!!

# Ending 1

Adrien stayed as quiet as possible, hidden behind an open locker, eyes wide and voice frozen in his tightened throat.

It was a good minute before Pollen rushed out and yelled at him to breathe. 

And another good ten seconds before he managed to. 

They-...

They… 

They are not two persons.

There’s just one-...

One huge mess!

A million thoughts coursed through his head as every minute of his life in these past few years replayed in his head and he saw them all for what they really were. 

Just two dumb kids yearning for one another and rejecting each other all at the same time. 

And he tried not to think about it, he tried to push this thought away. But it came and it made him sit down with a force.

Ladybug is Marinette. 

Marinette who’s had a crush on him since, basically, the moment they met.

Who is also Ladybug...

Ladybug who’s rejected him since, basically, the moment they met. 

The more he thought about it the harder it was to not feel hurt. 

Pollen perched herself on his bent knees, “You weren’t supposed to hear that.” She whispered.

He nodded, raising his eyebrows at what an understatement it was. 

In a matter of seconds, his entire world was flipped upside down.

Mari was a brand new per-

…

Marinette is Ladybug.

Ladybug who has Plagg.

Ladybug who took Plagg from Adrien.

Marinette who was just now talking to Plagg.

Marinette who now has to know… Marinette who has probably already made the connection.

Marinette who was acting all weird with him today.

Marinette who couldn’t even look at his face for a second and ran away when the subject was brought up. 

The more he thought about it the more nauseating he felt. 

How could he get rejected so many times by the same person, and it still felt like a fresh slice on his heart?

As Ladybug; she rejected Chat and gawked over Adrien.

As Marinette; she tripped and fell for Adrien but teased and ‘friendzoned’ Chat. 

And now that she knew they were both one person, she was avoiding Adrien. 

Why was there so little air in this room?

The bell rang, signaling free period was over, and Adrien stood up.

“Let's go. I’m sure Chloe’s going to love seeing you.” He muttered.

Pollen flew in front of his face, crossed her arms, and looked angry for the first time since he met her, “No.” 

This day just kept shocking and confusing him, “No?”

“I’m not leaving you alone with how you are right now. We’re going to go home, rest and gather our thoughts and then we’re going to talk with her about it because so far what I’m seeing is you two avoiding a confrontation that has to happen sooner rather than later. 

The more time you are left alone, the worse your thoughts get. I’ve seen it first hand. And if we let it get too far… chances are you two will end up hurting each other.” She started out confident, sounding like a real queen herself, giving out orders, but by the end, she was shy and scared like it personally scared her the outcome of this … confrontation. 

Adrien, missing the corrective scolding of a mother, simply nodded and proceeded to pack up his school materials to go home. 

*-*-*-*

Marinette stared off at her window from where she sat, cuddled up to her cat pillow on the back corner of her bed, ignoring the two kwamis casually conversing on the bottom floor of her loft bedroom. 

She wanted to throw the cat pillow away, as it reminded her of the guy who has her brain so jumbled up she can’t even reason… but the pillow brought her a comfort she desperately needed right.

She partly wished Adrien hadn’t been Chat so that she could go and talk with him about this problem. He would understand and he would calm her down… but he’s the problem now. And she has no one to talk to. 

“He’s not gonna come in through the window, kiddo. I’m here so he can’t.” 

She looked down to where the tiny, empathetic voice came from and rolled her eyes.

Yes, she sorta wanted Adrien to come in through the window as he’s done a few times before as Chat, but Plagg didn’t need to hear he was right twice in one day. His ego was big enough.

“Since you’re clearly searching for him,” Plagg continued as he zoomed up to where she was, “Why don’t you look for him? I’m sure he’d appreciate it, and so would Pollen.” 

Marinette stared as she tried to find a reason not to. I mean, there were plenty, but none of them good enough. Even the whole ‘I don’t feel emotionally ready’ didn’t hold up when she was clearly searching the skies for a leather-clad kitten. 

Marinette then smiled and looked at Plagg, “Wanna hear a really bad but funny idea?” 

Plagg snickered and nodded as Tikki came out from where she was resting, already yelling at them to not do whatever it was they were going to do. 

*-*-*-*-*-*

Adrien came out of the bathroom, clad in only a towel, contemplating between following Pollen’s order of visiting Marinette or just crawling into bed, as naked and wet as he still was from his bath, and sleeping all his problems away.

“Yeah, I imagine you would need a lot of those when wearing this suit as often as we have to.” 

He baffled himself at that moment when his blood went from cold as ice to hot as fire in a matter of seconds at the sound of her voice.

And then his entire body heated up at the sight of black leather-clad Marinette? Standing on one of his open windows, the moonlight shining behind her. 

Adrien remained silent, holding tight to the towel on his hip, and staring wide-eyed at the slightly smirking girl in front of him. 

“What’s the matter kitten? Chat got your tongue?” Her smirk grew bigger by the second, she clearly looked proud of herself, and finally, he saw what Marinette had been seeing this morning. 

A person who he believed to be sweet as sugar with… Plagg… And the things Plagg can encourage you to do… For both him and Marinette, Plagg was an… exploration of a hidden part of their personalities. And connecting them both could shock anyone.

She giggled as she jumped down shaking her head, as though baffled by her own joke, “I can totally see why you enjoy this! This is fun!”

Adrien remained silent as she walked up to him, her smirk never faltering, stopping a little too close for comfort.

“By the way, it’s me, Lady-”

“I know.” 

She didn’t look surprised, and she shouldn’t be. As far as she knew, she was the one who had the upper hand. She knew that he was Chat Noir, but didn’t know that he knew she was Marinette.

She nodded, now a peaceful smile on her full cheeks, “Imagine my surprise when I see that it’s not Pollen in the box.” 

He was glad of one thing at the moment, and he honestly wondered if she was doing it on purpose or she genuinely didn’t care enough to take real notice of it due to the gravity of the situation. And that is the fact that she has not looked down below his chin. 

He nodded, still sorta avoiding her eyes that had remained their usual blue even in her… Chat form? “I had a small panic attack myself… I’m sorry for.. Not making sure you weren’t in the box.” 

She looked confused for a second before she spaced off. She then nodded and gave an ‘mmm, trust me, you don’t want to hear what he said’ look. 

But nonetheless, she added, “I, on the other hand, don’t think I have to tell you just how irresponsible it was to do that.” 

He nodded and let out a short laugh through his nose, “Yeah, is just as irresponsible as not checking your surroundings before having a full on conversation with your kwami in the middle of school.” 

Her smile stayed but you could tell with her eyes that she was absorbing the information and working to figure out if it meant what she thought it meant. They stared at each other for a minute, each challenging the other to be the first to drop the ball before Adrien remembered something Nino told him and he decided him dropping the ball first would be funnier.

“By the way, what an upgrade! You went from stealing the phone of your classmates to sneaking into their rooms while they’re basically naked. When you look at it from this angle, it sorta looks like Ladybug’s compensating for what Marinette does at school, doesn’t it?”

Again, the smile stayed in place, but her eyes… they were yelling in panic. 

“Can I have my kwami back? It’s kind of confusing me right now seeing you wear him because I feel like I should be angry, but something else is telling me to let the grudge go, and I know I have to ignore that little voice.” 

She was about to say something when Plagg spoke to her, and whatever it was, it brought back the smirk that sent confusing jerks of electricity down …

“My kwami please!”

Now he could tell she wasn’t looking down on purpose. She was about to most likely tease him when two kwamis came out exasperated, “Take Plagg out!”

Marinette groaned but did as the girls told her to, and Adrien was glad for the distraction as that groan did more damage than good to the situation. 

“For goodness sake, kid! Control yourself! You’re in front of a lady!”

Now he kinda regretted letting Plagg out.

But he didn’t get a chance to retort when the red kwami, Tikki, jumped on Plagg and began scolding him for whatever bad advice he had given to Marinette. 

Marinette who now stood in front of him, looking timider than just a few seconds before, wearing fluffy pink pajamas that finally calmed him down. You can’t carry an erection when the girl in question looks like she’s ten!

She tisked, “It was definitely smart of Master Fu to not give me Plagg. The things we would have done together…”

“Why didn’t you bring him back immediately and scold me about it, instead of letting it go on this far to the point where there’s no secret to hide?” He felt that if he treated this situation the same way he has treated every other situation where he’s had to scold Ladybug it would be beneficial for both. 

Marinette who’s shy personality seemed to be eating her alive at that moment leaving behind the corpse of the smirking girl who burst in through the window. And Adrien who was still naked and the cold wind was not letting him forget that… And also the whole ‘my crush has been the girl sitting behind me all along and she’s being shy right now so I feel shy as well’ dilemma. 

She stayed quiet for a few seconds, staring at where the kwamis had gathered together, and she still didn’t look at him as she whispered, “I felt stupid.”

Adrien scoffed, completely understanding what she meant, but still feeling like scolding her was the better option here, “Well, yeah! I felt- feel stupid too, but still doesn’t mean you had to hold on to my kwami. What if another attack had happened? Was I supposed to just… I don’t know, get used to Pollen? Because, no offense Pollen,” He turned to check on her, saw her nod, and then went back to staring at Marinette, “Pollen is not the kwami for me.”

Okay… at this point, he has to admit he just wants Ladybug to come out and fight him like she’s done on every previous argument. He can’t tolerate Marinette who feels like she can’t hold a conversation with a guy who she has beaten up plenty of times before.

And he was almost there. He could see her brows furrowing together in anger as she stared at the kwamis, most likely not seeing Adrien anymore, but hearing Chat.

“And why couldn’t you have just understood or respected that I did not want ‘to be a miraculous’? I felt like I made it very clear I couldn’t have Pollen. Is not just because she’s a long distance fighting kwami, and I’m so not used to that kind of combat! But because of everything that has happened! Two days without Plagg, two- well I guess is not that bad-”

“Watch it, kid!” Plagg scolded.

“But still, two days without my kwami, my best friend, the one person- person? Anyway, the one being that has been accompanying me for the past three years through every situation. The one who has seen me dance and fall in the shower, laughed in my face as I tried to get up and failed and then laid with me in bed for hours as I rested the bruise away. The one who at this point I’m horrified at the idea of losing and makes me wish we never defeat HawkMoth so I never have to say goodbye to him. 

For you this was shocking, but for me this was painful. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many panic attacks!” He took a breather, staring at her face as she struggled between angry and empathy, before continuing because she’s still being shy, “And when I gave you the box, one of us was aware of what was going on, and that wasn't me. It was you who was staring at me not take off Pollen, but I still somehow gave you a box, that as far as you knew, was empty. And you left with it! You left without-”

“OKAY, I MADE A MISTAKE! I GET IT!”

Yes! Destroy that perfect image she has of Adrien. Adrien is as much of an asshole as Chat Noir and is time to connect those two images in her head. 

“I’m not perfect! I still don’t understand how you don’t get that! I fuck up… A lot! As Marinette and as Ladybug. I held back because I just couldn’t understand how you could see one of them as perfect and the other one as a mess of a friend.” 

She gave a quick pause to take a deep breath and came back with a higher pitch, “But then you’d go out and give Marinette mixed signals as Chat Noir! How could you do that? How could you show up at my house, my room! flirt shamelessly with me as Marinette, then walk into school the next day and tell me to my face I’m just a friend? At least I was consistent!”

Huh… Seeing Ladybug angry without a mask IS scarier. 

And right.

“... Consistent in disliking one part of me.”

She sighed as she heard even what was hidden between the lines, “I thought I made that very clear a long time ago. If ‘he’ wasn’t part of the picture, ‘Chat’ would be a shoo-in…” She tisked, looking around, almost as though she was physically seeing the mess they had somehow gotten themselves in. She shook her head and muttered under her breath, “Is so stupid now.”

Adrien nodded, thinking about what she said for a few minutes in silence before, “Why is ‘Adrien’ better than Chat Noir?”

She huffed, looked up and shook her head, looking frustrated, “He isn’t. He never was, and he never will be. Is just my sense of loyalty.” She nodded, feeling in that second like not only Adrien, but she was understanding herself a little better, “Adrien came first, and he made me feel… angry. And then came Chat, and I didn’t understand him. He was wild. Then the issue with Adrien was solved, and I felt horrible for mistreating him without understanding the situation, and I felt I didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

But he did. He forgave me and helped in a small moment of need, even though I ruined his first day of school. That meant so much to me because he did to me what I couldn’t do to myself. He forgave me for a stupid mistake.” She sighed, looking down at the ground. “I still didn’t understand Chat. And Chat came to me so aggressively that all I saw a wild douchebag. It took too long to see the…” She smirked at the ground, shaking her head, “It took too long to see the delicate ‘kitty’ that was hidden behind the bold bravado.” 

She nodded with a warm smile on her face, looking like she was remembering the exact moment she realized this, and then her smile fell, “I made the same mistake. I misjudged someone too quickly…” She swallowed, a sneer on her face, “I felt horrible because… Because I felt things for someone else. I felt like I was cheating on someone who didn’t even see me. I tried. I remember at one point I did try. To push all of my feelings towards Chat and move on. It was actually before you rejected me. I tried.

But there was something about Adrien I just couldn’t let go…”

Adrien stayed quiet, staring, waiting to see if there was more. More than a few times already he has wanted to chirp in with a ‘me too’, or a ‘same’... This really was stupid. 

“You then rejected me… I spent the entire day just trying, waiting for the moment that everything I had harbored for you would move to Chat. Lord knows he deserved it more. But it didn’t happen. Some dumb idiot inside just kept quietly asking me ‘why not both?’” She started laughing, bitterly and shaking her head, “I kept telling her she was stupid. You can’t have both, we have better morals than that. You can’t have your damn cake and eat it too.” She abruptly stopped laughing and glared at the ground, “But it appears I have taken bites of the cake already.” 

She stayed quiet for a much longer than before until he muttered, “Same.”

She aggressively scoffed, before looking up and glaring at him with a sarcastic smile, “No.” She bitterly giggled, shaking her head, “Nah. You don’t get to steal my speech. It’s not the same!”

“It is!” He unconsciously raised his voice.

“It’s not!” She did too, “You played with both!”

“I have Plagg!” He kinda wished that when he raised his voice it didn’t go a higher pitch, it made him sound like he was whining.

Nonetheless, she paused before nodding, muttering to herself, “Yeah, he really doesn’t stop you from making dumb decisions, does he?”

“Just the really big ones.” He added, and from somewhere in the moonlit room he heard Tikki scoff. 

“It’s both our fault. And it also isn’t.” She was hearing what he was saying but not continuing his conversation. He’s seen her do this before as she hyper-analyzed situations. She turned around, walking towards the window, and thinking that she was leaving, he made to grab at her. 

“We were just blind, seeing but not looking. Seeing what we wanted to see, believing what we wanted to believe- your towel fell,” Adrien looked down and rushed to cover himself and she continued like it didn’t happen, “And now… Now what? Pretend we don’t know-”

“NO!-”

“We’re not supposed to know! If something were to happen, if Hawkmoth were to capture one of us-”

“I’ll take your name with me to the grave. I may have not known what I was signing up for when I did, but knowing now doesn’t change my sense of duty and honor. I will lay down my life for my cause and don’t doubt for a second that won’t lay down my life for you!”

She nodded, looking into his eyes and seeing in them that he meant it, that having seen years ago just how serious HawkMoth was about his cause and how little he cared if five teenagers died in the process didn’t change anything, that knowing now who his partner was didn’t change anything, he was loyal to a fault. “Ok, but please don’t say it with your hands. You keep shaking the towel and I’ve seen more of you already than I thought I was ever going to see.” 

“Why do you keep looking?” He wanted to smirk, but he was also self-conscious and... unsure… if the argument was over?

“Adrien, the fucking moonlight is shining only on you. You might as well have a spotlight. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt that you did have one in this room.” She also looked like she wanted to smirk, to laugh. And he’s seen this look before too, always with a mask, but the intention is the same; she doesn’t want to stop the fight because she feels she lost, so she plans to stay angry until she can win at something. 

He turned around and headed towards his closet, “Is okay to ‘lose’ sometimes.” 

“I hope you don’t mean HawkMoth.” 

“... Well actually if he just decided to lose, that would be great. I meant our arguments.” 

She stayed silent, and he could see that her shadow had not moved from the window.

He sighed, as he slipped into some PJs, “You are very prideful and stubborn sometimes… a lot… We were both wrong. I should have been more careful regarding Plagg and you should have come immediately to me when you realized something was wrong. Neither of us should be feeling worse than the other-”

“Master Fu told me not to open the box and just return it… Tikki warned me not to open it... I disobeyed and opened it… I could have simply not known.” Oh… She’s not angry at him, but at herself. It was evident in her expression that she was beating herself up for it as she whispered, “We could have kept our secrets.” 

His old friend, the knot in his throat, came back at the idea of going back to knowing nothing. He slowly approached her from behind, feeling like a hunter slowly approaching a scared deer, “Do you really want to go back to knowing nothing? To the secrets? To the ridiculous chase that had us running in circles?” 

Please say no.

“... I’m tired.” She muttered.

“You’re evading.” He replied.

“I didn’t sleep yesterday.” She did sound tired, but he felt it was tired of the fight.

“I barely slept as well… You’re not leaving.” A part of him scolded him for saying it like that, “Y-you’re not leaving until this argument is over.”

A breathy bitter laugh escaped her as she shook her head, “Confidence sounds great on you, you need to stop doubting yourself.” 

“Stop evading.”

“There we go.” Her reflection showed her tiredly smirking at the sky.

“Marinette!”

“Adrien, I’m tired! I’m tired of thinking, I’m tired of stressing, I’m tired of worrying the next fight might be the last! There was a time where my midnight worries ensued of ‘what if in the next fight I lose Chat? What am I gonna do with my life after that? Or what if Adrien is the target and this time I can’t protect him? How am I gonna live with myself if he dies? Or what if- What if I lose them both?’ And the thought of that would make me suffocate with panic and tears and I hated it and now-” She choked, and he could hear the tears starting, 

“Now is so much easier for my entire world to fall apart in one second. My best friends fight alongside me, Chloe- while she’s not my favorite, I am proud of how much better she’s gotten, and I would still hate for something to happen to her, and now you-” She was fighting through a sob that kept trying to shut her up, but even Adrien knew she needed to get this out, to free herself of this suffocating worry, “And Chat- … 

It was so much easier when there were two of you, because when danger came I’d just take Adrien and put him somewhere ridiculously safe and then go to Chat and protect him and make sure he didn’t put himself in harm’s way all over again, but now I know that whenever a put Adrien out of harm’s way that fucker would crawl right back out and put himself on the front lines of danger.”

That sob finally won and Adrien stayed silent as she tried to gather her breath, then he whispered, “You can’t keep everyone safe.”

“I sure as hell will fucking try!”

A laugh escaped him, and he immediately tried to tone it down, “You can try, but some people just have a magnet for problems. Just look at Chloe, almost every Akuma targets her-”

“Or you… I’m either saving you as Adrien or saving you as Chat when you -...” She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

“When I sacrifice myself?” She nodded but said nothing, and he sighed, “In battle, you are more important, Marinette. All I can do is destroy and make a bigger mess. You are the one who purifies the akumas, the one who reverses all the messes that the battles make, you are the one who brings people back to life after they stop existing, you are more important! Without you in battle… we always lose. So my life can be put on the line for a few minutes or hours. As long as you win, I’ll be fine. And I trust you to always win. Lord knows you can kick all of our asses.”

Her silence was deafening as he tried to giggle the situation away once again, he sighed, “Marinette-”

“What if I can’t?” He paused and listened, “What if I can’t save you… all? What if I can’t reverse the damages? What if there’s this one time where I just can’t bring you back to life?”

He tried to joke himself out of this one, “Well then, make sure the quote on my gravestone is funny-”

“NO!” She turned around and he didn’t realize how much easier this argument was when he couldn’t see the constant tears streaming down her face, the panic in her eyes, the fear. Is been a long time since he feared for his life. 

Except-

He nodded and pulled her into a hug that was long overdue, “I’ll do everything humanly possible to stop worrying you. I’ll be ridiculously careful, I’ll listen to every order, and I’ll look for alternatives to saving you that don’t include sacrificing myself. I- I’ll be more careful for you.”

Heroes are selfish, whether they realize it or not. They all have their list of people whose lives they put above others. Marinette tried to take back her selfishness there but, Adrien knew, Adrien now knew that he was part of her list. That if she could she would take his miraculous away and leave Paris one hero short if it meant Adrien was safe. And now that he has a moment to think… 

Oh, how much did he wish he could do the same for the small girl he held in his arms… Small woman. 

As tiny and delicate as she looked, he knew, better than anyone, that she could save all of Paris by herself if need be. 

But there’s this other selfish need that they both had. 

The need to not do this alone.

“Don’t go.” His voice was as quiet as the cold wind that came in through the open window.

“My parents will notice.” Something about the moment, the end of the argument, the time of day or the silent words traveling between them both made them whisper. Almost like they didn’t want to break the spell. 

“It’s midnight.” He whispered. She shook her head, her arms dropping signaling she was pulling away and thus he held her tighter, “I’ll worry. There are bad guys out there looking to take advantage of such a young, beautiful, delicate maiden like yourself.”

Even her laugh was quiet, “And I can’t take care of myself?” 

“Well you can, but its really late, and I’m too tired to go around hiding bodies.” 

She giggled until her tiredness caught up with her, “There are no bad guys on the rooftops-” She raised her arms to push him away.

“Please... I don’t want this moment to end.” She looked up at him, quiet and attentive, a light shining in her eyes and he wondered if she was just being responsible or if he was being an asshole by begging her to stay in a situation she didn’t want to be in, “I don’t-... I don’t want to wake up tomorrow alone wondering if I dreamt all of this, only to go to school and see you revert back to that shy girl. I don’t want- I don’t want us to take one step forward and two steps backward.”

She stared at his eyes for a few minutes before whispering, “My parents expect me down for breakfast somewhere around 7:30. I have to be home before then.”

He nodded and pulled away. 

She stayed where she was, staring at him as he went about closing the window, looking for his phone and setting up an alarm and then arranging his bed for her, all with a subtle smirk on her face. When he was done he looked back at her, asking with his eyes ‘what are you waiting for?’.

“... So you don’t sleep naked?”

“I thought you were tired.” 

She tried to hold her smirk back, terribly, as she calmly walked towards the bed, climbing the bottom end and crawling to her gathering of pillows, “Yeah, but the view was fine!” 

Adrien stood next to the bed, a confused expression on his face as he tried to read the room and in between the lines of what she was saying. 

She giggled and pulled him in, “You’re too easy to tease! I am tired. And I do want to sleep.” 

He nodded as he settled in, internally ecstatic when Marinette crawled into his arms and settled her face in the nook of his neck.

He had finally managed to regulate his breath and his confused … body... when she whispered, “But if you want to do that naked I won’t mind.” 

The End.

########

# Ending 2

Marinette stared off at her window from where she sat, cuddled up to her cat pillow on the back corner of her bed, ignoring the two kwamis casually conversing on the bottom floor of her loft bedroom. 

She wanted to throw the cat pillow away, as it reminded her of the guy who has her brain so jumbled up she can’t even reason… but the pillow brought her a comfort she desperately needed right.

She partly wished Adrien hadn’t been Chat so that she could go and talk with him about this problem. He would understand and he would calm her down… but he’s the problem now. And she has no one to talk to. 

“He’s not gonna come in through the window, kiddo. I’m here so he can’t.” 

She looked down to where the tiny, empathetic voice came from and rolled her eyes.

Yes, she sorta wanted Adrien to come in through the window as he’s done a few times before as Chat, but Plagg didn’t need to hear he was right twice in one day. His ego was big enough.

“Since you’re clearly searching for him,” Plagg continued as he zoomed up to where she was, “Why don’t you look for him? I’m sure he’d appreciate it, and so would Pollen.” 

Marinette stared as she tried to find a reason not to. I mean, there were plenty, but none of them good enough. Even the whole ‘I don’t feel emotionally ready’ didn’t hold up when she was clearly searching the skies for a leather-clad kitten. 

Marinette then smiled and looked at Plagg, “Wanna hear a really bad but funny idea?” 

Plagg snickered and nodded as Tikki came out from where she was resting, already yelling at them to not do whatever it was they were going to do.

*-*-*-*

Adrien stared at his phone, contemplating who to call. 

On the one hand, there was Master Fu, who chances state, he has Plagg right now, and maybe, MAYBE, he could slip by there, without Nathalie or Gorilla noticing and get Plagg back. But also, if Master Fu had Plagg… knowing how controlling his dad was and that Gabriel wasn’t going to let him go, why hasn’t Master Fu brought Plagg to him?

… On the other hand… he was really worried about Marinette and her freak out earlier. Marinette was known for stuttering and freezing around him… years ago. She told him why, he said he loved someone else, they both moved on and became good friends. Why… Why did she revert back? Did she like him again?... Oh my God! Will this be easier than he thought? 

It would be so great if Marinette still had a crush on him! A little unfair for her who has been waiting so long? Yes. But there would be less pursuing and they could just get right down to it. 

He called.

The first time it went to voicemail he thought that maybe she didn’t hear it.

The second time, he worried she was instead mad with him.

The third time, he convinced himself she was mad for reasons unknown.

The fourth time, he began to worry, she never ignores this many phone calls. She gets antsy.

The fifth time he-

His panic was interrupted by a knock on his window and the silhouette of an unknown figure. 

He stared for a minute or so before deciding that even if he didn’t have his costume he could still fight to defend himself. 

As he got closer to the window the figure became more defined to be that of a woman. A woman with a long ponytail and cat ears. An Akuma?

By the time he unlocked the window he knew it wasn’t an Akuma. It was a new Chat Noir. 

He began to panic, staring up with wide eyes at this cat wom-... Female cat. Did they really replace him that quickly? Why didn’t they bother looking for him? Why did Plagg not look for him? It’s definitely hard to realize you’re easily replaceable. 

“What’s wrong, blondie? Chat got your tongue?”

She even smirks and puns as he does! 

He wanted to push her out the window in frustration, find her at the bottom, and yell at her to give him Plagg back. But he didn’t. 

He swallowed and sighed, “Anything I can help you with, miss…?”

“No name. Not needed. I don’t plan on making a public appearance. This is just for you, kitten!” Her voice was soft like silk, enticing like spices, it made you want to hear more.

Swallowing was a little harder this time. “Why?”

She shrugged and jumped down the windowsill, “No one really needs to know about me. They already have a Chat Noir. I’m just here to do a favor.” 

A pang of guilt rose up Adrien and consumed him quickly as he couldn’t help being attracted by her. First Ladybug, then the mixed feelings for Marinette and now Dark Kitten over here? Really all he can say about himself is that he’s into Asian girls with black hair, blue eyes, and freckles. Though to be fair, he didn’t know there were that many in Paris. 

“Wh- what’s the favor?” Fuck, he’s stuttering. Way to keep your cool, man!

“Return something.” She had not moved from her spot by the window, her smirk never fading, but it definitely now had a different vibe to it than when she arrived. She almost looks baffled… like… like…

“Return?”

“Well you see, kitten, this really isn’t mine.” … Like she couldn’t believe she was getting away with this.

He nodded and tried to play along, “I know. That belongs to Chat Noir.”

She bit her lip, smiling, looking like she was about to break and spill the secret, “Yes… yes, it does. But it seems he lost it. So I am to return it to him... Do you know where he is?” 

It felt like bait, but it also felt like she knew more than he did, so he stared, eyes squinted, trying to dig out her secrets, or figure out what she wanted from hi-

“You don’t have a bell? Or a tail? What’s wrong with you?” It’s bad enough that Plagg makes fun for his choice in Chat costume, he didn’t need an example of how ‘he could have done it better’.

Finally, he caught her off-guard, entirely off-guard, when she paused and gave herself a once-over, “... Huh… I don’t have a bell…” She twirled around, Adrien now realizing that this girl must have had Plagg for maybe less than an hour and that she didn’t really think about it as she immediately set off to do her mission. 

She paused and pulled her braid, “I think this is my tail. Granted my hair is not this long, not in a million years.” She giggled at him, as though he was supposed to know the inside joke and laugh with her. 

Frustrated he didn’t join in she sighed, “Come on kitty! You can’t be this slow. You know what’s going on, you just don’t want to see it!” 

His face must have shown his obvious confusion because she groaned and covered his eyes with her hands, grabbed on to his head as he tried to pull away with her new claws, and, if he were to guess by the breathing close to his face, leaned in real close. 

“You think this is a nickname I’m using just because I’m cat wo- just because I’m using Plagg, but it’s not. It’s a nickname I’ve always used for you. And you know it.” 

He stopped trying to see through the cracks in her fingers and focused because there was definitely something familiar about her voice. That silk and those spices. He’s heard them before. 

When she didn’t continue speaking, he groped around, searching for any part of her to try and indicate to keep speaking. He didn’t want to hear his own voice and scare away the tiniest bit of clue that’s reaching up to be heard. He felt her waist, or maybe her hips and squeezed.

“Getting handsy there, kitty. Is that any way to treat a lady?” He didn’t let go, but he felt her move closer, “Is that any way to treat your lady?” 

Her hands were still covering his eyes, but the image was clear in his head. Cut the hair, remove the ears and add some red to that suit, and he definitely should feel stupid for not figuring this out the moment she arrived. 

Who else would have Plagg, but Ladybug?

And who else would know, if not Ladybug, where Plagg came from, and who to return him to?

“I’m sorry.” His voice was nothing but a whisper, “I should have been more careful.” 

She stayed quiet, and he could hear time passing by. A good forty seconds passed when she finally spoke.

“It’s okay. I was told not to look in the box. That I needed to simply return the box and not look what was in it… Clearly, I didn’t listen. We both did things we weren’t supposed to do.” She sounded embarrassed and he felt bad… 

Sigh… but she handed it to him on a golden platter.

“Well, you know what they say…” The smirk was forming on his lips.

“Adrien don’t”

“Curiosity killed the chat!” His smile was big and he definitely felt proud of that one.

He heard her sigh in defeat, “I was going to show you who I was underneath the mask as I returned Plagg to you,” He felt her begin to pull away, “but you don’t deserve this anymore.” 

She pulled her hands away and for a second he saw her eyes, and he saw so much and it all confused him… but he didn’t have time to figure it all out, so he immediately pulled her into an embrace and held on tightly. 

She froze for a second, her face on his shoulder and her arms stuck in between them, before she gathered her thoughts and pulled them up and around his neck, hugging him back and resting her head on his shoulder, face facing his neck. 

He could feel her breath on his chest and on his neck and each one felt precious. 

And immediately as he thought that he felt horrible again. 

Was he not ready to beg Mari to be with him just a few minutes ago? How can he turn his back on her so quickly? Why-... Why did it have to be like this? Why can’t he have them both?

“You’re thinking really loudly.” Her voice was barely a whisper against his neck and he felt a shiver down his spine.

He nodded before pushed her away, shaking his head. “It’s okay.” He pointed at the bathroom, “The bathroom is over there. I figure you brought your kwami with you? If not, I believe you can use Pollen.”

She was confused and refused to let go, her hands holding on to his shoulders as he tried to push her towards the bathroom. “What?”

He grabbed her hands and pulled them off, shrugging, “I don’t want to know.”

She was baffled. Lady gawked for a few seconds before she began stuttering, and then finally she spoke, “B- but,” sigh, “But you’ve always wanted to know who I was. Who was your lady. Who was the girl you were crushing after. I’m finally going to give you what you’ve always wanted and you… you don’t want it?”

He looked down, finally letting go of everything that was her, “I found a new lady.” 

\--

Ladybug gawked, forgetting to breathe for a few seconds before finally, she gathered her thoughts, “Pollen, bathroom.” 

She locked the door behind her and let go of the breath she was holding. She couldn’t understand how there were so many ways for Adrien to break her heart. 

Adrien rejected her once because he was Chat and Chat wanted to be with Ladybug.

Now Ladybug wants to be with him and Adrien… found someone new? 

How is she always a second too late?

A quiet sob escaped her before she even realized she was crying, and she let go of the transformation.

She heard the two kwamis whispering to one another but couldn’t make out the words as Adrien’s words repeated over and over in her head, slicing her heart a new one each time. 

‘I found a new lady.’ 

It wasn’t bad enough that she was too late, but did he had to also make it sound like he was replacing her? Not just as his love interest but as a friend, a partner?

She opened her eyes and a need to destroy everything in the bathroom consumed her for a second. But even if Tikki wasn’t there, her voice was loud in her head telling her it wasn’t the right thing to do. So she listened.

Marinette walked to the sink, and scrubbed her face, trying to even out the redness.

“Pollen. Let’s get out of here.” She had to make sure not to talk to him when she left the bathroom.

“I don’t understand. He’s been head over heels for you all this time. I don’t-... understand.” 

She sighed and ignored Plagg, motioning for Pollen to transform her. 

Pollen’s voice was small and full of grief, “You need to say the word-” 

Marinette sighed louder and said the first thing that came to mind, “I don’t know, wings on?”

Seconds later Marinette was inside her third miraculous that day. 

She walked out and didn’t even bother looking at Adrien as she rushed towards the window, “I have the box. See you at the next Akuma attack. Don’t be late.” 

She jumped out the window and stumbled for a bit in this new miraculous. The night felt colder now. She should have brought Tikki. 

But she wanted to avoid another slip-up, so she left her home. But she didn’t want to continue carrying on a reminder of another failure, so she bee-lined it for Master Fu’s parlor to return Pollen and make it back home on foot. Her parents would have a lot of questions of why she was sneaking in at midnight, but… who knows? Maybe it will be easier to avoid Alya and her questions if she’s grounded. 

Next morning was rough and she wished she could skip class again, but she needed to get back on her parent’s good side after the scare she gave them the night prior. 

On her way to school she found a silver lining, at least it won’t be as awkward as the last time Adrien rejected her. Because he doesn’t know he rejected her again.

That doesn’t change the fact that she was gonna avoid him again. 

Or at least that was the plan. 

But it went out the window when she arrived at the school steps and found Adrien sitting on them, already having her in his sights as though he was looking for her. 

“You’re here early.” He smiled that beautifully tender smile as he got up and walked down the steps towards her, and she wanted nothing more than to punch his face for breaking her heart twice. 

It’s not his fault though. And that made her want to punch him harder. 

“Yeah. I got home late last night, and my parents weren’t happy. So I have to make it up to them and remind them I’m a good student.” Her voice was barely above a mutter, barely a casual tone. It was clear she didn’t want to be having a conversation at all, and for once, he could tell.

His smile fell and he seemed to be analyzing her, “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what I did to… anger you or make you sad. I didn’t mean to. That’s definitely the last thing I would ever want to do to you.” She mentally scoffed and looked away.

“I-... I saw that.” He was beginning to sound mad. Adrien had never been angry with her, but Chat has, and she could see the signs.

“Saw what?” But being angry with him herself, she’d rather fight with him than deal with the rest of this conversation.

“You rolled your eyes at me. Why don’t you believe me? I don’t want to hurt you. And I don’t think I have that cred. I’ve only made the mistake of rejecting you once, a mistake I deeply regret. But other than I haven’t really done much against you to warrant an eye roll.”

She bit her lip and shook her head, “I’m mad at someone and I’m feeling like taking it out on everyone today. Be warned.” Adrien doesn’t know. Adrien doesn’t know. Adrien doesn’t know. Adrien doesn’t know.

His tender expression came back and he whispered, “Who hurt you?”

“Doesn’t matter. Anything else you wanted to talk about?” She really just wanted to get to class and get this day over with.

“Well…” She was not looking up at him, which is why she noticed his hands start fidgeting, pulling at seams, scratching at his jeans. He was nervous.

He continued, “As I said, I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have rejected you. I was… fawning over an impossible target without realizing what amazing girl I had right behind me in class.”

It felt… It felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice cold water on her as the realization of what he was doing settled in, and her body reacted as such as she straightened up and looked up at him baffled. 

He wasn’t doing this… was he?

“If I had realized how I stupid I was back then I definitely wouldn’t have rejected you.”

Oh my god… he was doing it.

“I know this is pretty late, and unwarranted, but can I change my answer?”

Well, damn it… now she wanted to punch him for different reasons. 

Too bad Tikki’s voice didn’t stop her then.

Her left hand covered her gaping mouth as her right pulsated with the pain of breaking a nose. And maybe a thumb... like… like you would think I would know how to punch, but those suits can really protect your body from minor injuries like this one. 

Adrien remained on the floor, holding his nose, looking up baffled at what Marinette had done. 

And somehow time stood still as they stared at one another just completely taken by what just happened. 

That was until the P.E. teacher rushed out yelling at them both to not fight. 

Marinette and Adrien were basically dragged to the infirmary seeing as they were both in shock. 

After doing make-shifts cast for both Adrien’s nose and Marinette’s thumb, the nurse left to call their parents to take them to a real hospital and get proper treatment. 

The silence was deafening as they both stared at the opposing wall with their mouth hanging open. 

Finally, Adrien spoke.

“Uh- Wh- Why?” He sounded like he was having trouble breathing. Of course, he was, you broke his nose!

She slowly turned to look at him, mouth still hanging open.

“You could’ve just said no.” There was a nasal tone to his voice. But also a much louder tone of betrayal.

Marinette slowly shook her head and whispered, “You’re stupid.” 

“How- What did I do wrong now?!” There was loud frustration in Adrien’s voice.

“I tried to tell you and you didn’t let me.” There was quiet frustration in Marinette’s voice.

“What-”

She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her left hand, “Plagg, did you know? That he was planning this?”

Plagg slowly got out of Adrien’s shirt and sat on his knee, looking at Marinette embarrassed, “I only found out when we got to school, by which point there was no convincing him otherwise.”

“Plagg?” 

Both Mari and Plagg looked up at Adrien who stared at them both confused. 

Marinette sighed, “Adrien, you know the answer. You know how the full picture looks. You just always stop before you put the final piece of the puzzle in place. Why would I know Plagg? And why would I know that you have him?”

Adrien stared quietly for the longest minute of Marinette’s life before he finally whispered, “There’s just one.”

Marinette raised her eyebrows suggestively, dropping them quickly as she shook her head, “Yeah, one big mess.”

“You’re Ladybug.”

She sighed and nodded. 

Adrien sighed and looked around the room, almost like he was seeing the past few years play right in front of him like a movie, but now he knew the plot twist, and he could see all the clues that had been scattered in plain sight. 

He scoffed and started laughing quietly. 

Marinette glared at him, still frustrated with how this turned out, and still waiting for his comment about her being Ladybug because by now he has to know that she already knew he was Chat Noir.

Plagg was the one who asked, “What are you laughing about?”

“I rejected her… because I wanted to be with her… twice. Each time, in a new combination. I didn’t even you could do that once, and I did it twice!”

“Are you proud?” Marinette grumbled.

“I am stupid.” Adrien breathed out as the last of his laughter died. 

They were quiet for a few minutes in which Plagg hid inside Mari’s purse, where Tikki was. 

Five minutes had passed by when Adrien turned to her, the most serious expression on his face and continued the conversation she had been replaying in her head over and over again, “What I said still stands. Can I change my answer?” 

“Adrien?”

He nodded.

“I still want to punch you for the stupid game you made us play.” She wasn’t looking at him, she looked at the floor with intent, looking almost like she was confused. 

“I’ll wait.”

That finally made her look up, interest peaked. 

“Lord knows you’ve waited for a miserable long time. It’s only fair I do the same. And if this proves that I do mean it and that I wasn’t ‘playing a game’, then I’ll wait patiently and happily.” 

She stared at his eyes and a tiny smile broke at the corner her lips, and she leaned up, as carefully as possible, avoiding his broken nose, and placed the softest kiss on his lips before pulling away and going back to glaring at the ground. 

“I’ll answer that question later.”

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ask me which one is my favorite, now the answer is ending two. I like grumpy Marinette and the promise of something better soon. But at first, it was the ending that I, of course, wrote first. It enticed me, but... we all change. 
> 
> I won't apologize for being late, life is a bitch and you all know it.  
> But I will appreciate your comments and thoughts on this story and the multiple ending concepts.  
> \--  
> Anyway, to end this off, I hope you enjoyed my story and I hope to see you in my next one. ♥

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when I get stuck on a story. I write another one. This one is definitely gonna be short. I can't commit for too long with how college is right now. Maybe three chapters.
> 
> I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on this story. 
> 
> Next chapter will come whenever I finish writing it. Expect it soon or not. Next one could come tomorrow, or next month...


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